Re: Reinstall Windows XP System Files Only
- From: Talahasee <Talahass@xxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:09:16 -0800
On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 13:56:04 -0800, "Lee Lord"
<LeeLord@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>I only have a black screen when turning on my Dell computer running windows
>xp. Yes the obvious I've checked. While booting up and hitting F8 I get
>"keyboard not detected" error so I can't even get into safe mode. I've
>called Dell and they're sending me a Windows XP disc which wasn't included
>with my new computer. I was told to change in the "setup" program from HDD
>first to CD first then reinstall XP from the CD. As I recall isn't there a
>way I can boot into windows from that disc and try a system restore? Or if
>necessary would an option be to install only the necessary system files
>instead of the entire OS so that I don't lose files I've saved? Also.... not
>that I know how to, but is an option to run "repair" from the CD? Suggestions
>anyone? Thanks you!
If you have a real, register able, full version of XP, you
can select the "Install XP" item from the menu WITHOUT
formatting your hard drive (and consequently losing your
data).
If there is too much damage to install a fresh copy of
Windows XP over what you have (and thereby replacing the
damaged/missing files), the install will tell you.
In a dozen attempts to install XP OVER a damaged copy of XP,
I have succeeded something like 25% of the time.
It IS doable, but not likely in many cases.
This is EXACTLY why you have likely heard from many sources
"back up!"
For EXACTLY this reason, I have an EXTERNAL hard drive that
is bigger than my OS. I keep both a copy of my most current
OS AND several backup copies of my data on it.
If I have a HARD crash (frequently), I just turn off my
external hard drive (you need one with an on/off switch)
And I format and reinstall. Once I have everything running
again (you can ALWAYS reinstall software)
I restore my data sets from my external hard drive, and I'm
back where I started, almost faster than I can type this.
A complete system install takes under 3 hours, and I do it
at LEAST quarterly. (I like a CLEAN machine).
I also backup daily.
And here's a backup trick. With my external drive (I'll
call it I ), I open I, I create a folder like, MyDocs
012706 1355.
That gives me the date and time I began my backup, in
military time.
I then drag a shortcut to my Desktop.
I open my MY Docs folder, and begin dragging groups of
folders onto my new shortcut.
In 20-30 minutes, I have a full backup.
Weekly or so, I burn the backup-- or the original on C, onto
a CD RW or two (at this time, I believe I'm using 6 CD RWs).
There may well be automated ways to achieve this, but it
doesn't take long, and I've tried several of the automated
ways, and was not impressed.
If I do it manually, I know it's a good backup.
Tallahassee
.
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